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Questions tagged [lights-out]

A type of puzzle typically involving a grid of lights, in which the challenge is to get them all to the same state (on or off). The trick is that each light also affects a number of its neighbors, with sides and corners affecting fewer.

6 votes
4 answers
901 views

Flip counters in a grid so that they alternate in color

Beginner puzzle This puzzle is intended to be suitable for people who are new to puzzle solving. Clarification: Both experienced solvers and new solvers are welcome to post solutions to this puzzle. ...
Will.Octagon.Gibson's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
925 views

Minimum number of flips needed to fully set a binary string

Source: My school teacher, it was just given as a problem statement. Problem: You are given a binary sequence $S$ of up to $10^6$ bits. You wish to set all the bits in the string to $1$, but the catch ...
user88178's user avatar
  • 103
2 votes
0 answers
89 views

An array of light-bulbs [duplicate]

There is a grid of 2024 by 2024 light-bulbs. Initially, all bulbs are off. You can switch the state of all 2024 bulbs in a row simultaneously, or all 2024 bulbs in a column simultaneously, and do this ...
Erel Segal-Halevi's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

How do I determine whether a 5x5 Lights-Out puzzle is solvable without trying to solve it?

The following two 5x5 Lights-Out puzzles are not solvable. Is there a way to find out why, without trying to solve them? [1, 0, 0, 1, 0] [1, 1, 1, 1, 0] [1, 1, 1, 0, 0] [0, 0, 1, 0, 0] [1, ...
Apostolos's user avatar
  • 201
12 votes
4 answers
2k views

Prime lights out

You start with a 4x4 grid filled with zeroes. If you press a cell then the cell and all its neighboring (horizontally and vertically) cells will have their numbers increased by 1. What is the most ...
Dmitry Kamenetsky's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Deemo II Candle Puzzle

I have come across an interesting candle puzzle when playing Deemo II. The puzzle has 8 candles with 2 states: on(○) and off(●). Initial State All candles are off: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Allowed Operation ...
Jeffrey C's user avatar
  • 133
1 vote
1 answer
999 views

What's that puzzle where multiple levers change the locks' states on one door?

I have seen this one a few times in videogames and elsewhere, but I don't remember where. You have to open one door that has several locks on it. You have a bunch of levers that when moved change the ...
Pastille's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Name and solution of puzzle to rotate all arrows to same direction

In this puzzle, when you click an arrow, all arrows immediately next to it (diagonally included), as well as the arrow you clicked itself rotate 90 degrees. The goal is to get all the of arrows to ...
Samuel's user avatar
  • 71
6 votes
4 answers
464 views

How to get the least number of flips to a plastic chips to get a certain figure?

The puzzle is as follows: (Transcription with grammar errors fixed) A game consists of the following: The challenge is to flip the chips in such a way so that they are as in state 2. You start in ...
Chris Steinbeck Bell's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
233 views

Maximising the number of lit lightbulbs through row-column toggling

You have an $n\times n$ grid, with each cell containing a lightbulb. On a move, you may select a lightbulb, and toggle the state of that lightbulb, and all other lightbulbs sharing a row or column. ...
user591814's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
303 views

The combinational switching lights

You have probably encountered the mini puzzle in various games where you have a set of switches and a set of lights (or other triggers), such that each switch "flips" the states of one or ...
iBug's user avatar
  • 3,166
6 votes
3 answers
1k views

Flipping coins in a circle

We have a set of N coins that are all placed in a circle. They all have "Tails" as their face up side. The coins are all distinct and have numbers (1,2,3...N) written on them. In each move, ...
Hemant Agarwal's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
181 views

Highest n where an equal number in all cells is (im)possible

Inspired by Board with all 2020s : Zeroes are written in all cells of a n×n board. We can take an arbitrary cell and increase by 1 the number in this cell and all cells having a common side with it. ...
Retudin's user avatar
  • 9,308
6 votes
3 answers
396 views

Different numbers in all cells of a 4x4 board

This is a harder version of this puzzle: Different numbers in all cells of a 3x3 board Zeroes are written in all cells of a 4×4 board. Pressing a cell increases by 1 the number in this cell and all ...
Dmitry Kamenetsky's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
482 views

Different numbers in all cells of a 3x3 board

This puzzle is inspired by this one: Board with all 2020s Zeroes are written in all cells of a 3×3 board. Pressing a cell increases by 1 the number in this cell and all cells having a common side with ...
Dmitry Kamenetsky's user avatar

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